Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of Heathrow Airport on the use of mixed mode operations on the northern runway.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the Government's policy is on the use of mixed mode operations at Heathrow Airport.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what impact assessment Heathrow Airport is required to undertake when changing its runway operations.

Kelly Tolhurst: London Heathrow Airport sought the views of the department on its proposal to move temporarily all of its operations to the northern runway before this took place on 13 July 2020. In view of the current air traffic demand and its reduced environmental impacts, and the long-term benefits to the airport from repairing its southern runway, the government endorsed the airport’s decision to operate solely for a limited period from the northern runway. The Government expects London Heathrow Airport to assess the potential operational, safety and environmental consequences of any change to its operations before implementation. The specific format of any such assessment, and the level of detail to be included within it, are the responsibility of London Heathrow Airport and will need to be undertaken in compliance with its legal and regulatory obligations. The government’s longstanding policy is that mixed mode operations at London Heathrow Airport on its two runways should not be undertaken other than in agreed circumstances such as when the airport operates in Tactically Enhanced Arrivals Mode (TEAM). Any proposal by London Heathrow Airport to operate both runways on a permanent mixed mode basis would need the government’s consent as well as satisfying all legal requirements.

Heathrow Airport: Night Flying

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the economic value of flights arriving at Heathrow before 6 am.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government’s recognises that night flights have material value to the economy, and that the aviation industry connects people and UK businesses with the world. In particular, we recognised the importance of early morning arrivals from long-haul routes such as the Far East and America, volume of onward connections supported in this early morning period, and the contribution flights in the shoulder periods make to delivery of essential freight, both dedicated and belly-hold.  The economic value of night flights at Heathrow is considered in the Department's decisions relating to night flight restrictions at the airport. The last impact assessment was published in July 2017 to inform the current night flight restrictions, which run until October 2022.

Aviation

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy for all UK internal flights to be sustainably powered by 2030; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: It is critical that aviation plays its part in delivering the UK’s net zero ambitions. The Transport and Business Secretaries co-chaired the new Jet Zero Council on 22 July which brought together senior leaders in aviation, aerospace and academia to drive high ambition in the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions. We will also consult on our position on aviation and climate change later this year.

Aviation: Licensing

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has in place to ensure that UK-based pilots with an EASA licence can continue to work unrestricted in the EU from 1 January 2021 without incurring the costs of converting their licence to maintain those licence privileges in EASA member states.

Kelly Tolhurst: In the event that mutual recognition of EU Member State/UK pilot licences ceases at the end of the transition period, pilots with UK-issued licences who wish to fly EU-registered aircraft would need to transfer their licence to a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) member state before the transition period ended, or subsequently seek a second licence from an EASA member state. The UK has no control over the charges that may be applied by an EASA Member State for this process. Pilots currently holding a commercial licence from an EASA member state would need to seek a time-limited validation from the UK’s CAA to operate UK-registered aircraft outside the UK. The CAA has developed processes to make this as seamless as possible and with no associated cost.

Regional Airports

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to protect regional connectivity in the UK following the collapse of Flybe.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the impact Flybe’s collapse and the subsequent COVID-19 constraints on services, regional airports, regional economies and connectivity across the UK. We are working with industry to identify where key routes are being re-established and we remain committed to supporting regional connectivity, recognising the importance of maintaining a thriving competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver this. In May the Government announced a £5.7million funding package of measures, temporarily supporting two airlinks, from Belfast and Londonderry to London, and associated airport services at City of Derry Airport and Belfast City Airport. The funding package ensured that lifeline connectivity services continued to both Belfast and Londonderry during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government has provided an unprecedented package of measures to support the UK economy. These measures are open to businesses across the aviation sector and include a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals. In exceptional circumstances, where a viable company has exhausted all options and its failure would disproportionately harm the economy, the Government is prepared to enter discussions with individual companies seeking bespoke support as a last resort. Any intervention would need to represent value for money for taxpayers. We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the sector, including regional airports, to understand the situations they face. The Chancellor has announced that there will be a consultation on aviation tax reform. As part of this consultation, the Government will consider the case for changing the APD treatment of domestic flights, such as reintroducing a return leg exemption, and for increasing the number of international distance bands The Government remains committed to supporting regional connectivity across all transport modes, as well as the importance of maintaining a thriving competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver connectivity. The Department is currently working on a recovery plan for the sector out to 2025. The plan will have a strong focus on regional connectivity and will be developed in consultation with industry for an Autumn publication.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Prime Minister's statement of 11 February 2020, Transport Infrastructure, Official Report, column 712, what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the timeline for the deployment of the funding committed to the purchase of more than 4,000 zero-carbon buses.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Secretary of State has not had any specific conversations with the Prime Minister regarding the timeline for allocating the buses portion of the £5 billion funding package, that was announced in February this year.Details of the 4,000 zero-emission buses from the funding package, including how the funding will be distributed, will be announced in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has plans to enter into a partnership with the EU on its plan to negotiate an advanced purchase agreement of covid-19 vaccines.

Amanda Solloway: We are committed to collaboration with the EU and other international partners to ensure a coronavirus vaccine is made available to all as soon as possible. However, on 10 July 2020, the UK wrote to the European Commission to confirm its decision not to enter into partnership with the EU on its plan to negotiate an advanced purchase agreement on covid-19 vaccines. This decision was made because the EU scheme would not allow the UK to have a say in the vaccines procured, the price, the quantity and the delivery schedule. The UK would also not be allowed to continue pursuing independent discussions with pharmaceutical companies, which is key to ensuring the British public have swift access to any vaccine. This decision was published via an Explanatory Memorandum to Parliament. That is not to say that we do not want to work closely with the EU on other initiatives outside of this framework, where we continue to engage with the Commission.

Business: Government Assistance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to ensure the consistent application of Business Support Grants for organisations in receipt of Small Business Rates relief across local government; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government has put forward a package support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19. This includes the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF). Businesses in scope of this scheme are those with a property that, on 11 March 2020, were in receipt of either Small Business Rates Relief (including those with a Rateable Value between £12,000 and £15,000 which received tapered relief) or Rural Rates Relief. Local authorities are responsible for delivering grants to eligible businesses and we have provided detailed Grant Funding Schemes guidance for local authorities on the eligibility for, and provision of, this fund: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding. We are also working closely with local authorities to ensure the appropriate assurance checks are made before grants are paid out and to promote and share best practice, including providing supplementary guidance and FAQs.

Post Office Horizon It System Independent Review

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether evidence received by Parliamentary Ombudsman on the Government's handling of the Horizon issue can be considered by the Independent review into the Post Office Ltd Horizon IT system.

Paul Scully: The Government is in the process of setting up an Independent Review to look into the Horizon dispute and court case to ensure lessons are learned for the future. The Parliamentary Ombudsman operates independently from Government. Should it decide to open its own inquiry into Post Office Ltd. and the Horizon operating system, it will be a matter for the Parliamentary Ombudsman to decide whether it can, and if so should, share evidence it receives with the Independent Review.

Hyperactivity: Employment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department provides for the workplace for (a) employees on the ADHD spectrum and (b) their employers.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government appreciates that people with mental health conditions – including those on the ADHD spectrum – may face challenges in the workplace and encourages employers to take appropriate steps to support them. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) produces guidance on supporting mental health in the workplace aimed at both employers and workers: https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplace. Acas has also produced a framework for positive mental health at work and offers training on understanding mental health issues in the workplace: https://archive.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1900.

Economic Situation: Coronavirus

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) a green and (b) a resilient recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his speech of June 30, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear that in recovering from COVID-19, we must build back better, build back greener, build back faster, and to do that at the pace that this moment requires. At my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer's economic update on July 8, the Government set out the next stage in our plan to support the UK’s recovery from the pandemic. We are taking action to support a Green Recovery in every sector including: over £3 billion to transform energy efficiency in homes and public buildings; over £1 billion support for ultra-low emission vehicles; £800 million to capture carbon from power stations and industry; £640 million in Nature Climate Fund; and £100 million for research and development into Direct Air Capture technologies. We will continue to build on this and deliver a stronger, greener, more sustainable economy after this pandemic.

Aircraft: Electric Motors

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department will work with interested parties in resuming the E-Fan X demonstrator project; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: We will make sure that the wider learning gathered during the E-FanX project, including important work with Cranfield University, is disseminated widely. We continue to work with Rolls-Royce on the power generation system and ground testing, at Bristol, which was at the core of their element of the project. The learning at Rolls-Royce will be integrated into any future aircraft development requiring a hybrid-electric propulsion system. We are also working closely with Airbus and Rolls-Royce across a range of technologies including zero emissions aircraft.

Aircraft: Electric Motors

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is allocating to the establishment of (a) electric and (b) hydrogen powered flight; and if he will make a statement.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government has a wide range of programmes and challenges that can support research and technology on electric and hydrogen powered flight. These include the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme (£1.95 billion public funding commitment, 2013 to 2026); Future Flight Challenge (£125 million public funding); Faraday Challenge (£246 million); and Driving the Electric Revolution Challenge (£80 million). Our ATI progamme is supporting electric and hydrogen power flight projects, and our publicly funded FlyZero initiative, announced on 20 July, will bring together experts from across the aviation and aerospace sector to tackle issues in designing and building a commercially successful zero-emission aircraft.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 65917 on Renewable energy, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of spending on solar PV energy by his Department compared to conventional energy sources.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The annual maintenance cost for the solar PV array for 2020 at the Department’s headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street, London is £955.00. Costs dating back earlier than this are unavailable as maintenance of the solar PV array formed part of a wider maintenance package. The Department has spent the following amounts on electricity at 1 Victoria Street in the past two years and in 2020/21 to date. Data earlier than this is currently inaccessible. Year2018/192019/202020/21Electricity cost£564,336.89£613,067.94£112,779.51* *Data for 2020/21 is for April – June inclusive

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2020 to Question 60652 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install more solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Kwasi Kwarteng: At present, the Department has no plans to install additional solar panels or wind turbines at its headquarters building at 1 Victoria Street in the next five years. As part of the Department’s drive to reduce its impact on the environment and achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest, we are working with our contractors to identify the best route to sustainable energy supply.

Manufacturing Industries: Environment Protection

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage environmentally-friendly industry and manufacturing in the (a) Wolverhampton South West constituency and (b) UK.

Nadhim Zahawi: Achieving Net Zero remains a priority and the Government will consider how transitioning to a carbon neutral economy, creating new sources of competitive advantage in green manufacturing and sustainable business, will feature in a post-COVID-19 economy. We recognise that policies and measures to support low carbon technologies can be drivers of economic growth and new jobs in the Wolverhampton South constituency and across the UK, for example electric vehicle manufacturing in the Midlands. The Government has just launched the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, a scheme set up to help businesses with high energy use to reduce energy bills and cut carbon emissions. This scheme will support businesses to invest in energy efficient, low carbon technologies and in doing so help to place industry on a path to a low carbon future. The Industrial Clusters Mission will establish the world’s first net-zero carbon industrial cluster by 2040 and at least one low-carbon cluster by 2030. To kick start the Mission, we will be investing up to £170 million via the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge (IDC) fund to support the deployment of low-carbon technologies and enabling infrastructure in one or more clusters. The Made Smarter Review found that greater adoption and innovation of industrial digital technology in UK manufacturing could deliver a 4.5% reduction in CO2 emissions and over £10 billion in reduced resource costs. Through our Made Smarter programme, we are investing up to £167 million to support digitalisation in UK manufacturing and through which we are already seeing examples of the role digital technology plays in increasing the resilience of firms in the sector. Finally, the BEIS Local Energy Programme is designed to maximise local contribution to clean growth, decarbonisation, and to help reach net zero targets. The programme works with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Local Authorities and Communities in England to drive development of clean growth as a key part of Local Industrial Strategies and support local clean growth investment. The key focus is mobilisation of green finance to support projects at local level that wouldn’t otherwise happen. The Local Energy Programme, which includes the Midlands Energy Hub, addresses barriers to clean growth activity and equips areas to drive private sector investment into clean growth across a pipeline of local projects.

Hydrogen: Infrastructure

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support the creation of the infrastructure required for further roll out of hydrogen gas as an alternative to less environmentally friendly options.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is already investing up to £121m (between 2015 and 2021) in innovation across the hydrogen supply chain to grow the UK hydrogen economy. This includes the £33m Hydrogen Supply competition, supporting projects including renewable hydrogen at scale through offshore floating wind (Dolphyn), and the world’s largest electrolyser production facility (ITM Gigafactory). The HyDeploy project has been commissioned by Gas Network Operators to investigate the option of blending up to 20% hydrogen with natural gas in the gas grid, while the Government’s £25m Hy4Heat programme is exploring the safety and feasibility of using 100% hydrogen for heat in homes.In addition, a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund was announced in August 2019, to stimulate capital investment in new low carbon hydrogen production, and at the Budget this year we announced at least £800m to support carbon capture and storage infrastructure that could help enable production of low carbon hydrogen at scale.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the UK Government plans to participate with the COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility for the domestic procurement of covid-19 vaccines.

Amanda Solloway: We are committed to ensuring that there is adequate global distribution of vaccines to bring the quickest possible end to the pandemic and the economic damage it inflicts. This includes UK participation in live discussions relating to the COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (COVAX). The UK have expressed interest in COVAX and are working with international partners to shape the design of the facility. We have already committed £48 million of re-programmed funds to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment (AMC).

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Terrorism: Sanctions

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and (b) other groups subject to UK terrorism and terrorist financing sanctions will be targeted under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020.

James Cleverly: The UK is committed to holding Iran to account on a wide range of human rights issues. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is already sanctioned by the UK, as are a further 82 serious human rights violators and one entity, as an important part in keeping pressure on the Iranian regime to change its approach.It is not appropriate to speculate on who may be designated under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of the designations. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 6 July 2020 to Question 60661 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install solar panels and wind turbines on its (a) UK Estate and (b) overseas estate buildings in the next five years.

Nigel Adams: The Government is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This includes taking action to increase the use of renewable energy across the Government estate. Where this relates to solar panels and wind turbines on buildings occupied by the FCO, active consideration will be given to installation

Islamabad: Religious Buildings

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Pakistani counterpart on plans to build a Hindu Temple in Islamabad; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Adams: We are monitoring the situation around the construction of the Shri Krishna Mandir temple in Islamabad closely. The UK Government remains deeply concerned by reports of discrimination against religious minorities in Pakistan, including against the Hindu community. Our High Commission in Islamabad frequently engages with the Hindu community to understand their needs. We engage at a senior level with the Pakistani Government on our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and the mistreatment of religious and ethnic groups. Most recently, the Minister of State for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised concerns on FoRB and the protection of minority religious communities with Dr Shireen Mazari, Pakistan's Human Right Minister, on 15 July. The UK High Commissioner to Pakistan raised the same concerns with Dr Mazari on 8 June. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan at senior levels to guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens, regardless of their belief, in accordance with international standards.

Hamas

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) Hamas and (b) Izz-al-Din Al-Qassem will continue to be subject to UK Terrorism and Terrorist Financing sanctions after the end of the transition period.

Nigel Adams: Hamas, including Izz Al-Din Al-Qassem, is subject to financial sanctions in the UK through the EU counter-terrorism sanctions regime CP931. Her Majesty's Government is transferring existing EU sanctions regimes into UK law through regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, and the Secretary of State and the Treasury have made regulations providing for counter terrorism sanctions after the end of the transition period. We will look to carry over existing EU designations at the end of the transition period.

Pakistani National Commission for Minorities: Ahmadiyya

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Pakistan and the Supreme Court of Pakistan to help ensure that Ahmadi Muslims are represented within the National Commission for Minorities Rights while having the right to self-identify as Muslims.

Nigel Adams: We welcome the establishment of the National Commission for Minorities and would stress the importance of ensuring the new Commission is established in line with the UN Paris Principles as it begins its important work, specifically focusing on its independence, funding and membership. The UK Government remains deeply concerned by reports of discrimination and violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan.We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the fundamental rights of all its citizens, in accordance with international standards. Most recently, the Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised our concerns about human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief and the National Commission for Minorities, with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 15 July. Our High Commissioner to Pakistan discussed the National Commission for Minorities with Dr Mazari in a meeting on 8 June.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2020 to Question 60667 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Mr Robin Walker: My Department is committed to Greening Government commitments promoting initiatives where possible. The NIO’s offices are based on leased sites in London and Belfast; both buildings are listed as part of the national heritage programme which limits the capacity to adopt features such as wind turbines or solar panels. My officials have explored plans for installing renewable energy sources with the landlords who have advised that they currently have no plans to install solar panels or wind turbines. Both landlords did however confirm that they seek to reduce their impact on the environment where possible. The Belfast office has now committed to providing sustainable water sourcing as part of their support for clean renewable energy.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Coronavirus

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of designating certain hospitals for covid-19 patients only, to allow other NHS hospitals to return to normal operations and tackle the backlog of non-covid 19 patients.

Edward Argar: On 14 May 2020, NHS England published an ‘Operating Framework for urgent and planned services in hospital settings during COVID-19’ which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/05/Operating-framework-for-urgent-and-planned-services-within-hospitals.pdfAs part of this guidance, local healthcare systems and individual providers were asked to “maximise opportunities for creating physical and / or visible separation between clinical and non-clinical areas used by patients on a planned and elective care pathway and those on an urgent and emergency care pathway” and to “maintain consistency in staff allocation where possible and reduce movement of staff and the crossover of care pathways where feasible”.

Independent Healthcare Providers Network: Contracts

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the covid-19 contract for all inpatient capacity in England with the Independent Healthcare Providers Network expires; and whether he plans to renew it.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 29 June 2020



National Health Service patients are benefitting from an unprecedented partnership with private hospitals in the United Kingdom as we battle the COVID-19 outbreak. The Government has provided additional funding to the NHS to allow them to continue to use additional hospital capacity from the independent sector until the end of March 2021.

Health Services: Private Sector

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to end the contract agreed with private sector health providers in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 29 June 2020



National Health Service patients are benefitting from an unprecedented partnership with private hospitals in the United Kingdom as we battle the COVID-19 outbreak. The Government has provided additional funding to the NHS to allow them to continue to use additional hospital capacity from the independent sector until the end of March 2021.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Lung Diseases

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of A&E attendances for (a) asthma and (b) other respiratory conditions in each of the last 12 months.

Helen Whately: Respiratory disease is a clinical priority within the NHS Long Term Plan. The respiratory interventions proposed in the NHS Long Term Plan include early and accurate diagnosis of respiratory conditions, which help prevents avoidable emergency admissions.The following table shows the data for bronchial asthma and respiratory (non-asthma) related hospital episodes for each month since April 2019. Month Bronchial AsthmaRespiratory, non-asthmaApril 2019 11,80483,842May 2019 12,43673,477June 2019 12,38564,847July 2019 11,75766,566August 2019 9,44860,097September 2019 16,03678,657October 2019 17,589105,935November 2019 19,106130,188December 2019 19,351169,210January 2020 14,613116,642February 2020 12,605100,841March 2020 12,80097,692Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital. This data is provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustment have yet been made.

NHS: Parking

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timescale is for the end of free car parking at hospitals for NHS staff during the covid-19 outbreak.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he has issued to NHS trusts on when to resume charging NHS staff for car parking as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 15 July 2020



I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my Rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 8 July, Official Report, column 966.

Hospitals: Discharges

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of the additional funding allocated by his Department to emergency discharge during the covid-19 outbreak has been spent by NHS trusts.

Edward Argar: We originally made up to £1.3 billion available via the National Health Service to support the discharge process. This has been supplemented by an additional £588 million as part of the announcement by the Prime Minister on 17 July that £3 billion is being made available to support the NHS this winter. This funding has been made available to and drawn down by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with their local authority partners to support appropriate discharge from acute settings. We do not hold information on the breakdown of how CCGs have used the funds split between NHS and non-NHS providers.

NHS: Coronavirus

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support NHS staff who are unable to attend work as they live with a person who is shielding.

Helen Whately: Government advice recommends that those National Health Service staff who live with a person who is shielding do not have to adopt shielding measures themselves but must follow advice in social distancing and hygiene to minimise the spread of the virus at home.Employers should be supporting their staff to stay well and to protect their families and guidance has been published by NHS Employers to provide support NHS Human Resources Directors. The guidance provides specific advice on what employers should do to support those staff who live with someone who is shielding. More information is available at this link:https://www.nhsemployers.org/covid19/staff-terms-and-conditions/staff-terms-and-conditions-faqs/pay#Shielding

Health Services: Immigrants

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, (a) how much revenue has been raised by the Immigration Health Surcharge annually since its introduction and (b) how much of this revenue is paid into the NHS annually.

Edward Argar: The following table provides Immigration Health Surcharge income figures for the financial years from 2015/16 to 2018/19 – the latest period available, taken from the Home Office’s Annual Accounts which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-20192015-162016-172017-182018-19TotalIncome (£’000)169,112210,250240,483297,925917,770 Prior to COVID-19, the Immigration Health Surcharge was forecast to generate over £400 million per year for the National Health Service.

Health Services: Immigrants

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefit of linking income raised from non-EEA migrants paying the Immigration Health Surcharge to NHS trusts in their region.

Edward Argar: The Department has made no such assessment.

Coronavirus: Minority Groups

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on charging for NHS services of the report by Doctors of the World, An unsafe distance: the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on excluded people in England, published in May 2020.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



Regulations came into force on 29 January 2020 to add Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) (now known as COVID-19) to Schedule 1 of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015. This means there can be no charge made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis, or treatment, of COVID-19. Patients that are known to be undergoing testing and treatment for coronavirus only are not subject to Home Office status checks.This information has been widely communicated to NHS staff and the public, including a message published on Public Health England’s Migrant Health Guide, which has been translated into 40 languages.

NHS: Capital Investment

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is given to NHS Property Services on reinvesting the proceeds of the sale of NHS capital assets on new medical facilities serving the same population.

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the proceeds of the sale of the land at Edenbridge War Memorial Hospital can be used to fund the new combined medical facility in Edenbridge.

Edward Argar: NHS Property Services has to date been required to reinvest proceeds of surplus site disposals in maintaining its existing estate. The Department is working now with NHS England and NHS Improvement to give NHS Property Services the ability to ringfence a proportion of future proceeds secured from disposals of surplus sites for reinvestment in local National Health Service estate priorities.With regards to Edenbridge War Memorial Hospital, the site is not currently surplus to NHS operational requirements and unless this position changes and the property is vacated and sold, there are currently no such receipts available to reinvest. NHS Property Services is working closely with the Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group and the local Sustainability and Transformation Partnership to understand their priorities and how it can best support this.

Department of Health and Social Care: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2020 to Question 60660 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Edward Argar: The Department has no current plans to install solar panels or wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Department for International Development

UK Relations with EU: Developing Countries

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to assess the potential effect on developing countries of the UK's future relationship with the EU.

Wendy Morton: Leaving the EU does not change the UK’s commitment to supporting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Nor does it mean the UK and EU have stopped working together to alleviate global poverty and tackle shared global challenges. The UK frequently works alongside a range of development partners where we have a shared common goal.As a Member State, the UK spent approximately 10% of all Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the EU each year. Going forward we will be able to make our own decisions about where, when and how we invest that money. Ministers will take decisions on ODA funding through normal departmental processes and bids to the Spending Review, in line with the conclusions of the Integrated Review. The Government remains committed to the 0.7% ODA/GNI target.We will also continue to ensure development and global prosperity are at the heart of UK trade and investment policy. For example, we will look to improving our trade preferences scheme to create more trading opportunities for around 70 developing countries. We will also continue to work on integrating development interests into UK trade policy including in Free Trade Agreements.

Overseas Aid

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has to consult with (a) civil society and (b) development partners on the development of the new UK Aid strategy.

Wendy Morton: The Integrated Review, announced by the Prime Minister and expected to conclude later in the year, will define the Government’s ambition for the UK’s role in the world. Its outcomes will shape the objectives including for overseas development spending. Civil society organisations play invaluable role in our fight against poverty. We continue to engage with them including through regular roundtables.

Department for Education

Students: Finance

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much the cost of student finance is forecast to increase in the absence of further policy changes in the next three years.

Michelle Donelan: The department publishes forecasts of higher education student numbers, student loan outlay and student loan repayments in England. The most recent publication, published in June 2019, covers financial years up to 2023-24 and academic years for the same period. These figures are available in the ‘Student loan forecasts, England: 2018 to 2019’, which is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loan-forecasts-england-2018-to-2019.The figures can be used to derive the forecast cost of student finance, as set out in Table A in the attached tables under the policies and economic conditions of June 2019.The Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge is the proportion of loan outlay that is expected to not be repaid when future repayments are valued in present terms. This takes into account the effect of inflation and the estimated cost of government borrowing over time.The RAB cost is the product of student loan outlay and the RAB charge and represents the long-term monetary cost to government of providing student loan fundingUpdates to this forecast will be published in 'Student loan forecasts, England: 2019 to 2020', which is pre-announced for publication in September 2020.



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74726_table_B
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Schools: Coronavirus

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the number of schools who have submitted claims for reimbursement for exceptional costs associated with covid-19 for the period from March to July 2020.

Nick Gibb: The first opportunity for schools to submit a claim to be reimbursed for specific exceptional costs closed on 21 July. 14,075 schools had submitted a claim by time the claims window closed.Schools are eligible to claim for costs incurred between March and July in respect of: increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements. Schools can claim up to a maximum amount that will depend on its size, and will be no more than £75,000 per school.A further claims window will be available later this year, to cover any further eligible expenditure that schools have not yet claimed for.

Schools: Coronavirus

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support additional expenditure on cleaning and hygiene measures in schools during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Government intends that all pupils, in all year groups, will return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. On 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this. The guidance can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.Schools have continued to receive their core funding allocations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20. As stated in our guidance, schools should use their existing resources when making arrangements to welcome all children back for the autumn.Schools have been able to claim additional funding for exceptional costs incurred due to COVID-19, between March and July 2020, such as additional cleaning required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases and increased premises costs to keep schools open for priority groups during the Easter and summer half term holidays.

Department for Education: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2020 to Question 60654 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Nick Gibb: The Government Property Agency (GPA) does not currently have funded plans for the installation of solar panels and wind turbines on Department for Education buildings. However, GPA has a Net Zero Programme in development to support the following UK Government targets:To reduce the UK’s net emissions of greenhouse gases by 100% relative to 1990 levels by 2050, making UK a ‘Net Zero’ emitter.To have at least a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the public sector estate by 2032 (against a 2017 baseline). GPA has committed to the following objectives for the Government Office Portfolio:Improve energy efficiency (reduce consumption/ improve thermal efficiency)Use green energy (decarbonise)Generate and store green energy (locally)Reduce embodied carbon (in construction)In order to meet objective 3, GPA is currently assessing opportunities for the local generation and storage of green energy on Government Office Portfolio buildings, which may include solar panels and wind turbines.

Higher Education

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of the higher education student finance system by 2030 in the absence of policy changes.

Michelle Donelan: The department publishes forecasts of higher education student numbers, student loan outlay and student loan repayments in England. The most recent publication (June 2019) is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loan-forecasts-england-2018-to-2019.These forecasts assume policies as set in June 2019 and the forecast of economic conditions at that point by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The forecasts of student loan outlay in 2020-21 and 2030-31 are also repeated in the attached table.The long-term cost to the government of the student finance system depends on the proportion of the student loan outlay which is expected to be repaid. We do not routinely publish forecasts of the cost of student loans to the public purse to 2030 due to the high level of uncertainty inherent in such longer-term forecasts of income-contingent loans.Updates to this forecast will be published in ‘Student loan forecasts, England: 2019 to 2020’, which is pre-announced for publication in September 2020.



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Arts: Higher Education

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2020 to Question 70489 on higher education: finance, what the cost to the public purse has been of support for media studies courses in higher education in each of the last three years.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2020 to question 70489 on higher education, what the cost was to the public purse of support for higher education in each of the last 10 years, by degree subject area.

Michelle Donelan: Reliable estimates of the historic cost to the public purse of degree subjects at this level of disaggregation are not available.Recent research published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies looked at how financial returns to higher education, for both students and the taxpayer, differ by subject studied. They estimate that, on average, the taxpayer gains £110,000 per male graduate and £30,000 per female graduate through extra tax and National Insurance contributions less unpaid student loans, with economics and medicine seeing the greatest returns and creative arts seeing the lowest returns. The publication is available here: https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/R167-The-impact-of-undergraduate-degrees-on-lifetime-earnings.pdf.

Ministry of Justice

Motor Vehicles: Crime

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offences have been committed of non-compliance with section 42 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 in (a) Sussex and (b) England.

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offences there have been for non-compliance with section 43 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 in (a) Sussex and (b) England.

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been for non-compliance with section 44 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 in (a) Sussex and (b) England.

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offences there have been of non-compliance with section 59 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 in (a) Sussex and (b) England.

Chris Philp: The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on offences. The offences covered by sections 42, 43 and 59 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 are not notifiable offences and therefore do not require the police to inform the Home Office for statistical purposes. The Home Office therefore are also not able to report on the number of crimes associated with these sections of the Act.The Ministry of Justice has published data on the number of prosecutions and convictions for offences in England and Wales for the years 2013 to 2019. This data is available in the Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888344/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsxIn the ‘Offence Code’ filter, select ‘81403’ in the drop-down menu to filter for the offence of non-compliance with section 44 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.In the ‘Police Force Area’ filter, select the relevant police force areas required.After doing the above, the number of convictions for non-compliance with section 44 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 between 2013-2018 can be seen in row 32 of the resulting pivot table.

Ministry of Justice: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2020 to Question 60666 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install more solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This includes taking action to increase the use of renewable energy across the Government estate. Where this relates to solar panels and wind turbines on buildings occupied by Ministry of Justice, active consideration will be given to installation.

Prisoners' Release: Homelessness

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2020 to Question 61688, if his Department will extend the accommodation support scheme for prison leavers beyond 31 July 2020.

Lucy Frazer: The Government has exceptionally secured funding of up to £8.5m to provide accommodation for those released from prison, who are at risk of homelessness during the COVID-19 period. This emergency funding is available for a time-limited period to support this process. The temporary accommodation scheme initially ran from 18 May until 26 June at which point it was reviewed and the decision taken to extend to the 31July. We will continue to keep the operation of the scheme under review and extend it past the 31 July if the public health and public protection risks warrant it.This project will help ensure vulnerable ex-offenders at risk of homelessness will get the vital support they need to stay safe during the COVID-19 period and find suitable accommodation and continue their rehabilitation during the pandemic. This will help improve outcomes for ex-offenders and increase the chances of seeing fewer victims of crime in the future.

Prisoners' Release: Homelessness

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) young adult, (b) other female and (c) other male prison leavers were released without an address to go to between 1 May 2020  and 8 June 2020 in (i) each of the regions of England and (ii) Wales.

Lucy Frazer: The table below gives the number of offenders released from custody by accommodation circumstance on the first night. The data covers the period 1 May – 8 June 2020. Of the 6,961 offenders released, 947 (14%) were described as homeless (total of rough sleeping and ‘other homeless’ combined), including 9% of young adults, 15% of other females and 14% of other males were released with no accommodation on their first night out of custody. The accommodation circumstance was unknown for 11% of young adults, 13% of other females and 13% of other males. Data is drawn from probation case management systems which relies on inputting by probation staff who may not always be aware of an individual’s involvement in accommodation scheme or similar initiatives. Offenders Released from custodyRough sleepingOther HomelessUnknown accommodation circumstance Young Adults10692078114London23841336Midlands183#1713North East174#926North West164#119South East and Eastern1407207South West and South Central117##12Wales53##11 Other Males5377173597700London82342113156Midlands9711211474North East99115104156North West921238879South East and Eastern673487960South West and South Central650296582Wales34843493 Other Females515166366London6041312Midlands97#98North East106#811North West70#7#South East and Eastern71#119South West and South Central67#11#Wales44#419 *Young adults are offenders between 18 and 24** Other male and females are offenders 25 and over*** “Other homeless” refers to individuals who identify as homeless but have not been identified as sleeping rough. In some cases, it is not recorded whether an individual that is identified as homeless is rough sleepingThis data does not include offenders who remain the responsibility of a prison, such as those released under release on temporary licence (RoTL), End of Custody Temporary Release (ECTR), releases where the offender is recalled to custody the same day or those released from unsupervised short sentences.The Government has exceptionally allocated funding of up to £8.5m to provide accommodation for those released from prison, who are at risk of homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic This emergency funding is available for a limited time and initially ran from 18 May until 26 June at which point it was reviewed and the decision taken to extend to the 31July. We will continue to keep the operation of the scheme under review and extend it past the 31 July if the public health and public protection risks warrant it.This project will help ensure vulnerable ex-offenders at risk of homelessness will get the vital support they need to stay safe during the COVID-19 period and find suitable accommodation and continue their rehabilitation during the pandemic. This will help improve outcomes for ex-offenders and increase the chances of seeing fewer victims of crime in the future.

Courts: Working Hours

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish an update on the progress of the pilot schemes run at Manchester and Brentford courts in early 2020 to test the efficacy of flexible working hours for courts.

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish an update on the pilot schemes run at Liverpool Crown Court to test the efficacy of extended working hours for courts.

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to publish the independent evaluation of the flexible operating hours pilots.

Chris Philp: The Flexible Operating Hours pilots took place at Manchester Civil Justice Centre and the County Court at Brentford from September 2019 to March 2020. Upon the pilots concluding an update was published in May 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flexible-operating-hours-pilots-conclude-at-manchester-and-brentfordHMCTS has appointed a consortium of IFF Research and Frontier Economics to carry out an independent evaluation of the Flexible Operating Hours pilots. The evaluation is being conducted as set out in the evaluation plan, published July 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexible-operating-hours-evaluation-plan-and-summary. The evaluation report will be published following completion, in the autumn.Options for extending working hours in the Crown and Magistrates’ courts are under consideration. There has been no pilot scheme to test the efficacy of extended working hours at Liverpool Crown Court.

Debt Collection: Contracts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s news story of 5 November 2019, Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract Awarded, whether any changes to contracts of employment as a result of those contracts so awarded have been (a) consulted on with and (b) agreed by (i) affected staff and (ii) departmental trade unions.

Kit Malthouse: The Departmental Trade Union are appointed representatives and have been, and continue to be, involved in the consultation regarding the transfer of individuals that will result from the letting of the new Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contracts. There will be some technical changes to contracts of employment, but the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 affords protections to key terms and conditions such as salary, pensions and annual leave. Consultation is undertaken with a view to reaching agreement, and both the unions and staff views are considered but they will not always be acted if there are good practical or financial reasons for not doing so.

Debt Collection: Contracts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s news story of 5 November 2019, Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract Awarded, what steps he has taken to ensure that affected staff with protected characteristics will not suffer detriment post-transfer as a result of those contracts so awarded.

Kit Malthouse: HMCTS is committed to ensuring that staff with protected characteristics do not suffer detriment as a result of these changes. Staff are currently taking part in 1:1 meetings with the new providers, one of the purposes of which is to discuss any protected characteristics and reasonable adjustments so they can determine how each individual can be supported and accommodated post-transfer.

Debt Collection: Contracts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s news story of 5 November 2019, Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract Awarded, what steps he has taken to ensure that his Department’s obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty will continue to be met post-transfer as a result of those contracts so awarded.

Kit Malthouse: The obligation to act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, including the Public Sector Equality Duty, is a requirement of the new Approved Enforcement Agency Services contracts.

Debt Collection: Contracts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s news story of 5 November 2019, Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract Awarded, whether the new contractors of those contracts so awarded will be required to recognise trade unions; and if he will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The new providers of the Approved Enforcement Agency Services contract are currently engaging with the existing trade unions as part of the preparations for starting the new services. It will be for them to decide on how they consult with staff and staff representative after the new services have commenced.

Debt Collection: Contracts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s news story of 5 November 2019, Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract Awarded, whether he will meet with representatives of departmental trade unions to discuss the potential implications of the transfer of staff in relation to those contracts so awarded.

Kit Malthouse: HMCTS has met with, engaged and consulted the departmental trade unions regularly throughout the life of the project to award the Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract. Officials from HMCTS are happy to meet again to discuss the transfer of staff and will be in touch to arrange.

Debt Collection: Contracts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s news story of 5 November 2019, Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract Awarded, whether he has consulted with respective police forces on any potential extension of warrant activities placed on them as a result of those awards.

Kit Malthouse: HMCTS has issued regular updates to the National Police Chiefs Council about the project to award the Approved Enforcement Agency Services Contract. The new services should not result in any extension of warrant activities undertaken by the police so it is not expected that these contracts will have a significant impact on police forces.

Probate: Coronavirus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to accelerate its processing of probate applications during the covid-19 outbreak.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how long on average it has taken his Department to grant probate after the receipt of an application in the most recent month for which such records are available; and if he will make a comparative assessment of that figure and the figure relating to that matter from the equivalent month in the previous year.

Chris Philp: The probate service has continued to operate effectively despite the pressures faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The digital online probate service is available for both citizens and legal professionals and this means that both the applicant, and where necessary, Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), can administer grants remotely.Additional resources have and continue to be put in place by HMCTS to prepare for any additional demand following the increase in the overall death rate. The most recently published waiting times for a grant of probate covers March 2020 however July 2019 data has been used for the comparison as March and April 2019 is subject to data quality issues following the move to a new computer system.Average time to grant issue for grants of representation, by grant type, England and Wales 1,2Probate  Application submission to grant issue Document receipt to grant issue3  Mean weeksMedian weeks Mean weeksMedian weeksMarch 2020 6.94.6 6.64.3July 2019 9.68.6 9.68.6  Source HMCTS Core Case Data1) HMCTS Core Case Data (CCD) came into effect at the end of March 2019, following a transition between data systems recording information regarding The Probate Service2) The average timeliness figures are produced by calculating the time from application/document receipt (which may be from an earlier period) to the grant issued made in that period3) Document receipt occurs after payment has been made and all accompanying paperwork has been received by HMCTS

Prisons: Industrial Health and Safety

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his oral contribution of 14 July 2020, Official Report, column 1373, what assessment he as made of the suitability of the wrongdoing integrity hotline for reporting health and safety concerns in prisons.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his oral contribution of 14 July 2020, Official Report, column 1373, whether non-directly employed prison staff have access to the wrongdoing integrity hotline; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his oral contribution of 14 July 2020, Official Report, column 1373, what steps he is taking to ensure effective consultation with representatives from trades unions during the HMPPS review into the whistleblowing process for prison staff.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice Integrity Hotline is in place to allow staff in prisons to raise any concerns they may have about the workplace or their own wellbeing. HMPPS has effective and reliable systems for reporting and recording adverse security, and health and safety incidents. This allows staff to voice any concerns, and for health and safety teams to monitor and take action where necessary.We are also taking action to address unacceptable behaviours within HMPPS. In the coming months and will be putting in place a dedicated Unit to support our objective of reducing discrimination, bullying and harassment. This will include a phone line to provide advice and guidance.The Ministry of Justice Integrity Hotline forms part of the whistleblowing arrangements across the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice whistleblowing policy applies to all workers including non-directly employed prison staff.The existing Ministry of Justice whistleblowing policy was reviewed by the Ministry of Justice HR Policy team during 2020. Drafts of the updated policy and supporting guidance documents were shared with the HMPPS trade unions, as part of a wider consultation exercise. We are aiming to conclude this and launch the new policy in the Autumn.

Tribunals: Judgements

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect on referenced individuals of publishing unredacted tribunal judgements online.

Chris Philp: Open justice is a fundamental principle of the operation on courts and tribunals. Tribunals can make orders for proceedings to be anonymised where it is in the interests of justice to do so.The Ministry of Justice will be working closely with the judiciary and HMCTS to establish a coherent approach for publication of judgments and case outcomes while ensuring appropriate protection for personal data.

Probation: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral answer of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, of 14 July 2020, Official Report, column 1367, how much of the £100 million announced for the future probation system will be spent on (a) rehabilitative, (b) resettlement, (c) education and (d) employment services.

Lucy Frazer: As part of plans for the future probation system set out by the Lord Chancellor on 11 June 2020, it was confirmed that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) will operate a Probation Services Dynamic Framework to commission rehabilitation and resettlement services in England and Wales. These services will sit alongside other provision by HMPPS, such as prison-led resettlement support, as well as provision by other government departments. Our initial estimate, as referenced by the Minister of State in her oral answer on 14 July 2020, was that the total value of contracts to be commissioned through the Probation Services Dynamic Framework would exceed £100m per year once the system reached a steady state. The following table sets out the indicative proportion of overall Dynamic Framework contract value for each service to be procured, using estimates for Financial Year 2024/25 as representative of steady state spend:  Sum of Lot 1: Accommodation servicesSum of Lot 2.1 Finance, Benefits and Debt servicesSum of Lot 2.2 Education, Training and Employment servicesSum of Lot 3: Dependency and Recovery servicesSum of Lot 4: Family, Lifestyle and Wellbeing servicesSum of Lot 5: Women servicesTotal% of indicative Dynamic Framework contract value9%9%11%15%43%13%100% Lot 4 includes a separately-commissioned contract for support to Young Adults in Wales only. This is drawn from data made available to prospective bidders in July 2020. All values provided are indicative only and subject to change. They should not be viewed as confirmation of contract values, Call-Off term or actual volumes. It should be noted that for some lots, they may be co-commissioned with other partners, and some of these co-commissioned services may be procured through an alternative procurement route than the Probation Services Dynamic Framework. This particularly applies to the Finance, Benefit & Debt and Dependency & Recovery lots. It is not possible to provide either: a) the proportion of contract value expected to derive from resettlement activity to support individuals leaving prison, as distinct from support for individuals serving a community sentence; orb) the proportion of contract value expected to derive from education support as distinct from employment support. This is because these values will depend on the outcome of the procurement process, the nature of the services delivered and future volumes of activity.

Treasury

Nostrum Oil and Gas

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what investigations the Financial Conduct Authority has undertaken on the listing of Nostrum Oil and Gas on the London Stock Exchange, via the Isle of Man.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the losses incurred by UK investors as a result of the collapse of the share price of Nostrum Oil and Gas.

John Glen: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the UK’s securities regulator, oversees equity markets and is responsible for maintaining the Official List. The FCA does not normally make public the fact that it is or is not investigating a particular matter, or any of the findings or conclusions of an investigation.

Business: Coronavirus

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on businesses of not receiving coronavirus-related business interruption payouts from insurers; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The Government has been in continual dialogue with the insurance sector and is encouraging insurers to do all they can to support customers during this difficult period.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require insurers to treat customers fairly, and has said that, in light of COVID-19, insurers must consider very carefully the needs of their customers and show flexibility in their treatment of them. The Government is working closely with the FCA to ensure that the rules are being upheld during this crisis and fully supports the regulator in its role.On 1 May the FCA outlined its intention to seek a court declaration, on an agreed and urgent basis, and for a selected number of key issues, to resolve uncertainty for many customers making business interruption claims. Subsequently on 1 June, the FCA announced the policy wordings that would be tested in the court action and insurers it had invited to participate directly. On 15 July, the FCA published a final list of all the relevant insurers and policies that may have wordings impacted by the final decision of the court. The court hearing began on 20 July, and the FCA expect the court to reach a final decision in early August.However, many businesses have not purchased insurance that covers losses from Covid-19 related losses. The Government encourages businesses who do not have appropriate insurance cover to seek assistance through the wider support package if they are in financial difficulty.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister: Early Day Motions

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will publish a response to EDM 689 on Conduct of the Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson: When I stood on the steps of Downing Street one year ago, I pledged to be a Prime Minister for every corner of the United Kingdom. Whether you are from East Kilbride or Dumfries, Motherwell or Paisley, I promised to level up across Britain and close the opportunity gap.The last six months have shown exactly why the historic and heartfelt bond that ties the four nations of our country together is so important and the sheer might of our union has been proven once again.In Scotland, the UK’s magnificent armed forces have been on the ground doing vital work to support the NHS, from setting up and running mobile testing sites to airlifting critically ill patients to hospitals from some of Scotland’s most remote communities. And the UK Treasury stepped in to save the jobs of a third of Scotland’s entire workforce and kept the wolves at bay for tens of thousands of Scottish businesses.More than ever, this shows what we can achieve when we stand together, as one United Kingdom.

Ministry of Defence

Saudi Arabia: Military Aid

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military (a) personnel and (b) advisers are operating in targeting centres in Saudi Arabia.

James Heappey: We have a very small number of liaison officers in Saudi Armed Forces headquarters. The role of the liaison officers is to provide the UK with greater insight into Saudi processes and operations. All UK military personnel in Saudi Arabia remain under UK command and control. More specifically, as my predecessor said in his reply to Question 228123, our liaison officers working in the Saudi Air Operations Centre observe Saudi-led coalition air operations in Yemen to help the UK support Saudi compliance with International.



228123 - Saudi Arabia; Military Aid
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Submarines: Safety

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to introduce new safety regulations to ensure Royal Navy submarines keep clear of fishing boats and ferries.

James Heappey: The safety of submarines and other vessels is paramount. The Royal Navy's policy and mandatory procedures for submarines to ensure safety of shipping are contained in the Code of Practice for Fishing Vessel Avoidance. This was agreed by the Fishing Industry Safety Group, and is afforded a high priority in submarine crew training. The Code was most recently reviewed in November 2016 and remains the extant policy.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2020 to Question 60659 on Renewable energy, what plans her Department has to install solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Mims Davies: DWP is in the process of drafting and internally socialising its Carbon & Utilities Management Plan, covering 2020 to 2025 to meet the Greening Government Commitments targets and the UK Net Zero Carbon emissions trajectory. DWP’s approach is to reduce emissions utilising the Energy Management Hierarchy. With this in mind, and when the plan is agreed, we will commit to investigate opportunities to reduce site energy and building baseloads and where economics are favourable whilst using our Crown Commercial Services frameworks we will consider but not limit ourselves to the following renewable & low or zero carbon schemes: 1. District Heat Networks (DHNs)We will commit to explore and work with UK city wide DHN developments to decarbonise the heat demand within our buildings. 2. Water/ground/air source heat pumpsWe will commit to carry out Low or Zero Carbon studies where we instruct new builds and major refurbishments. 3. Photovoltaic and thermal installationsWe will commit to exploring utilising our car parks and building rooftops for solar PV and solar thermal systems. 4. Wind generatorsWe will commit to reviewing our sites to assess the practicality of using wind turbine technology.

Unemployment: Coronavirus

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the level of unemployment in (a) London, (b) Bexley Borough and (c) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.

Mims Davies: The latest ONS headline figures for unemployment published in July for the quarter ending May 2020, remain at 3.9%. DWP publishes, via its Stat Xplore website, official statistics on the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits by parliamentary constituency and local authority area (the ‘Alternative Claimant Count’). Estimates of the number of people who are unemployed are compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS). The LFS provides national and regional unemployment estimates whilst the APS, which is a modified version of the LFS, allows sub-regional analysis. Estimates are based on a sample of cases and therefore subject to sampling uncertainty. Unemployment estimates at sub-regional geographies such as local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are especially uncertain. The latest figures from the LFS estimate that in the quarter March-May 20 there were 256,000 people unemployed in London. This equates to an unemployment rate for London of 5.1% - an increase of 0.6 %pts on the December-February 20 quarter. All estimates of unemployment used in this answer are publicly available on the NOMIS website (https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/). All estimates of Alternative Claimant Count used in this answer are publicly available on the StatXplore website (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/alternative-claimant-count-statistics-january-2013-to-may-2020). ONS considers its estimate of unemployment in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency to be statistically unreliable as the sample size is based on fewer than 10 people.

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of staffing levels in her Department to (a) process claims and payments and (b) to provide unemployment support services effectively; and if she will make a statement.

Mims Davies: The Department is doing all we can to deal with exceptional levels of demand. Our priority is ensuring people get their benefit payments and that we can continue to support those who need them most. The Department has mobilised robust business continuity plans to ensure we can do just that.We have introduced new processes to ease pressure on waiting times for identity verification over the phone and other processes. People making new claims for Universal Credit no longer need to call the Department as part of the process. Once they have completed their online application we will call them if we need to check any of the information they have given us.Jobcentres have remained open throughout, providing support to our most vulnerable customers. In line with the easing of restrictions in England, from 1st July, people will be able to make an appointment with their Work Coach if they can’t get the help they want online or over the phone. Work Coaches, as part of the individualised approach, will be calling all claimants to engage with them. We will continue to be align with current guidance from Scotland and Wales. The Department is continually assessing the service being offered to customers and we continue to keep staff numbers under review as part of our response to the impact of Covid-19 on the labour market and our support for jobseekers during this difficult time.We have already committed to increasing the number of Work Coaches [13500] and Case Managers, and recruitment is already underway.

Child Maintenance Service: Secondment

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees have been seconded from the Child Maintenance Services (CMS) to other sections of her Department as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; when the CMS will be return to the staffing levels before the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will make a statement.

Mims Davies: To meet the unprecedented demand for benefits during the pandemic, the Department redeployed over 10,000 staff to critical frontline work, streamlined processes and increased the capacity of our IT systems. This included approximately 1,700 out of around 6,800 members of staff from the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to support Universal Credit (UC) and Jobseekers Allowance. Staff began to return to the CMS from July 2020, and the Service will take a staged approach to make use of returning resource over the next few months.

Bereavement Benefits

Angela Richardson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the judgment in relation to (a) R (Jackson and Simpson) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2020] EWHC 183 (Admin) and (b) i n the matter of an application by Siobhan McLaughlin for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland), what progress her Department’s has made on amend her Department's policies on (i) bereavement support payment and (ii) widowed parents allowance.

Mims Davies: It is our intention to take forward a Remedial Order to remove the incompatibilities from the legislation governing Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment by extending these benefits to cohabitees with children. We intend to lay the Order before the House in due course.

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the evidential basis is for her Department's decision to restrict the eligibility criteria for a work allowance as part of universal credit.

Will Quince: Work Allowances remain focussed on providing an additional work incentive for some of the more vulnerable claimants and are just one of many elements of Universal Credit designed to provide work incentives and support to people moving into and progressing in work. The Government has made significant investment to improve Universal Credit’s generosity through the reduction in the taper rate from 65% to 63% in 2017, and an extra £1.7 billion a year put into Work Allowances by 2023/24, increasing them by £1,000 a year for working parents and disabled claimants, from April 2019 - an extra £630 a year in the pockets of 2.4 million of the lowest paid families.

Occupational Pensions: Coronavirus

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the level of opt-out from auto-enrollment into workplace pensions during the covid-19 lockdown period.

Guy Opperman: The Department does not yet have suitable data to make an assessment of the number of employees who have reduced their contributions, or have stopped saving, since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown period. We are monitoring the impacts of covid-19 on workplace pension participation and saving levels and are working closely with the pensions industry and across government to understand the impact of the emergency. Helping people to save for their futures remains a key priority for this Government. We put in place an unprecedented package of support to strengthen job and income security during the emergency; this included help to ease workplace pension saving for businesses with furloughed workers. As part of the next phase of its response, the Government’s goal is to support, create and protect jobs; and giving businesses confidence to retain and hire workers supports the capacity for retirement saving.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Furs: Imports

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ban fur imports into the UK.

Victoria Prentis: I refer the hon Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Totnes on 30 June 2020, PQ UIN 62631.[ www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-06-22/62631]

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2020 to Question 60655 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install more solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Victoria Prentis: The Government is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This includes taking action to increase the use of renewable energy across the Government estate. Where this relates to solar panels and wind turbines on buildings occupied by Defra, active consideration will be given to installation.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2020 to Question 59351 on Energy, what proportion of the electricity used by his Department's buildings in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to date was produced by solar panels and wind turbines on those buildings.

Victoria Prentis: The amounts of renewable energy generated by Defra Group including the Environment Agency, Kew Gardens and Forestry Commission over the last five years are included in the attached table. We have used between 0.1% and 1.3% of renewable energy generated from our buildings over the last five years. The amount of renewable electricity used each year varies, due to differing parts of the department using renewable and non-renewable electricity. The differing amounts these constitute vary each year depending on operational need.



Defra renewable energy generated
(PDF Document, 15.17 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Aviation

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2020 to Question 19056 on Aviation, what estimate he has made of the CO2 emissions generated by the accumulated air miles in each of the last five years; and what steps his Department is taking to offset those emissions.

Victoria Prentis: Based on the miles that were flown as given in my answer to PQ 19056, Defra has emitted the following amounts of carbon dioxide (CO 2).YearMileageTonnes of CO220151,523,50530220161,239,65922420171,892,96830720183,312,01757920193,329,3495402020160,69526Since 2009-10 the department has reduced its CO2 emissions by 49% in 2019-20. Rather than offsetting our emissions, we have done this through investing in energy efficiency measures across our estate, reducing the amount of travel we do and changing the way we travel to lower CO2 emitting forms of transport, shrinking our estate and we have benefitted from the UK grid becoming greener. All of these measures have contributed to our fall in CO2 emissions.

Imports: Carbon Emissions

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with goods imported into the UK.

Rebecca Pow: The latest figures show carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with imported goods fell by 1% between 2016 and 2017, and by 16% between 2007 (when they peaked) and 2017.The latest figures published are at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uks-carbon-footprint but they focus on greenhouse gas emissions rather than just CO2 emissions.The Government's Resources and Waste Strategy for England sets out its ambition to move from a make, take, use, throw linear economic model to a more circular economy which will reduce our carbon footprint from imported emissions through increasing repair, re-use, remanufacture and other waste prevention activities.The Environment Bill includes measures that will help consumers to make purchasing decisions that support the market for more sustainable products. It contains powers to introduce clear product labelling, which will enable consumers to identify products that are more durable, reparable and recyclable and will inform them on how to dispose of used products.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Environment Protection

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect the (a) environment and (b) woodlands in the vicinity of the High Speed Two route.

Rebecca Pow: High Speed Two (HS2) aims to be one of the most environmentally responsible infrastructure projects ever delivered in the UK.The Government and HS2 Limited have committed to provide a range of tailored measures to compensate for its impacts, for example, planting more than 7 million new trees and shrubs, and creating over 900 hectares of new native woodland.At least 400km of hedgerows will be created or translocated. On top of this, the Government has committed £7 million in establishing the HS2 Woodland Fund, helping landowners within 25 miles of the railway to create and restore woodland. The first £1.6 million of the Fund has already been allocated, supporting around 115ha of new native woodland and around 160ha of plantations on ancient woodland sites.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 21 April 2020 on panic buying which was transferred to his Department from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 6 June 2020.

Victoria Prentis: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 22 July 2020.

Animal Products: Imports

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2020 to Question 72166 on Animal Products: Imports, when he plans to make a decision on the import of trophy-hunted animals and animal parts.

Victoria Prentis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow on 19 May 2020, PQ UIN 46697, which remains the current situation.[www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-05-13/46697]

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew: Coronavirus

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with senior representatives at Kew Gardens on funding for that institution as a result of the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the outbreak on the (a) finances and (b) functionality of that institution.

Rebecca Pow: Defra has regular meetings with Kew Gardens about the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak. There are significant impacts on Kew’s operations and finances, mainly as a result of having to close the Kew and Wakehurst Place sites to the public for a period during lockdown, and a staggered return to full operations is anticipated through 2020/21. Kew has reopened to the public under a carefully planned approach and is now able to generate visitor income as a result, although at a significantly lower level than would normally be anticipated. The operational facilities are being kept under review with a view to maximising visitor access within social distancing guidelines. Kew has taken financial mitigation measures to partly offset the loss of income, including reducing costs, postponing investment plans and use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Under optimistic scenario planning of steady growth in visitor numbers and associated income and no second lockdown or related restrictions, their in-year operating deficit would result in a 25% reduction in total income for 2020/21, which will be funded by Kew drawing down its unrestricted reserves. We continue to work with Kew to monitor the situation and any future challenges.

Washing Machines: Microplastics

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require that laundry filters are put in all new washing machines to prevent microplastic waste from making its way to seas and oceans.

Rebecca Pow: The Government currently has no plans to require manufacturers to install microplastic filters on new washing machines but is working with industry to encourage improved environmental outcomes and reduce water pollution. We will continue to assess new and emerging evidence and consider the need for legislation in the future if industry approaches are not successful. With our world leading microbeads ban in place, we are exploring how other microplastic sources enter our marine environment. In 2018 we pledged £200,000 for scientists at the University of Plymouth to explore how microplastic particles enter our waterways and oceans. The findings of their research include that particles released from vehicle tyres could be a significant and previously largely unrecorded source of microplastics in the marine environment (GOV.UK press release). The Government has also launched the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance to help address marine plastic pollution across the Commonwealth.

Air Pollution: Poplar and Limehouse

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of air quality in Poplar and Limehouse constituency.

Rebecca Pow: The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality in the capital and has reserve powers under the Environment Act 1995 to reflect this. The UK is compliant with our air quality obligations for all pollutants with the exception of nitrogen dioxide concentrations at roadside locations, and we have put in place a £3.8 billion plan to tackle this issue. More widely, the Government’s Clean Air Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce air pollution from a wide range of sources. Our Environment Bill delivers key parts of this Strategy, makes a clear commitment to set a legally binding target to reduce fine particulate matter and enables local authorities to take more effective action to tackle air pollution in their areas.

Air Pollution: Tower Hamlets

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the levels of (a) particulate matter and (b) nitrogen dioxide in the air in Tower Hamlets.

Rebecca Pow: The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality in the capital and has reserve powers under the Environment Act 1995 to reflect this. The UK is compliant with our air quality obligations for all pollutants with the exception of nitrogen dioxide concentrations at roadside locations, and we have put in place a £3.8 billion plan to tackle this issue. More widely, the Government’s Clean Air Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce air pollution from a wide range of sources. Our Environment Bill delivers key parts of this Strategy, makes a clear commitment to set a legally binding target to reduce fine particulate matter and enables local authorities to take more effective action to tackle air pollution in their areas.

Home Office

Deportation: Compensation

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her October 2019 report to the Home Affairs Select Committee, whether the families of the 14 Commonwealth citizens who have died after being removed from the UK since 2002 will be compensated.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her October 2019 report to the Home Affairs Select Committee, how many of the 42 overseas applicants to the Windrush scheme whose application was withdrawn died before the process could be completed.

Priti Patel: Representatives of the estate of affected individuals who have sadly passed away can claim compensation. Close family members of an eligible primary claimant, including in cases where the primary claimant has died, can also make a claim for compensation in their own right. Guidance and claim forms are available on GOV.UKOf the 42 overseas cases reported as withdrawn in the October 2019 update to the Home Affairs Select Committee, the Home Office is aware of two individuals who had sadly passed away.

Windrush Lessons Learned Review

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many versions of the Windrush Lessons Learned review his Department has received; and on which date those versions were received.

Priti Patel: The Independent Adviser, Wendy Williams, lead the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. In line with the published Terms of Reference for the review, information was provided to a small number of officials in the department to support due process with regard to Maxwellisation, defamation and GDPR, and any other HR and legal considerations; and to enable the department to fact check the report.This is common practice for this type of review. The processes associated with Maxwellisation and fact-checking were led by the Independent Adviser and were a matter for her. The Independent Adviser’s conclusions remain a matter for the Independent Adviser.On 19 March 2020 we published the Windrush Lessons Learned immediately after we received the final version. We remain determined to right the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation, and we have said we accept the findings of this important review, and that we agree with the recommendations. The Home Secretary will be setting out to Parliament before summer recess how this will be taken forward. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-07-21/debates/CF88BF2D-55E5-4672-8103-E28A1136C3F1/WindrushLessonsLearnedReview

Windrush Lessons Learned Review

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether officials in her Department are fact-checking the Windrush Lessons Learned report.

Priti Patel: The Independent Adviser, Wendy Williams, lead the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. In line with the published Terms of Reference, information was provided to enable the department to fact check the report. This is common practice for this type of review. The Independent Adviser’s conclusions remain a matter for the Independent Adviser.On 19 March 2020 we published the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We remain determined to right the wrongs experienced by the Windrush generation, and we have said we accept the findings of this important review, and that we accept the recommendations. The Home Secretary will be setting out to Parliament before summer recess how this will be taken forward. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-07-21/debates/CF88BF2D-55E5-4672-8103-E28A1136C3F1/WindrushLessonsLearnedReview

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Mr Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has received representations on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's consideration of changes in the level of fire safety regulation.

James Brokenshire: A public consultation on the implementation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report recommendations which require a change in law will be issued shortly. We have had early engagement with a range of stakeholders including the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Local Government Association, the Fire Industry Association, the Early Adopters group led by the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government, the Devolved Administrations and a number of other government departments.The public consultation will give all those affected, including the Grenfell community, individuals, residents’ groups, building owners/managers and representatives from the fire safety industry, the opportunity to make their voices heard.

Windrush Lessons Learned Review

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to implement the recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review Report.

Priti Patel: I was clear that when Wendy Williams published her lessons learned review that I would listen and act. I have heard what she said and I will be accepting the recommendations she has made in full.I am committed to ensuring the Home Office delivers for each part of the community it serves and will update the House before summer recess on how we will be implementing the recommendation. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-07-21/debates/CF88BF2D-55E5-4672-8103-E28A1136C3F1/WindrushLessonsLearnedReview

Police: Dismissal and Disciplinary Proceedings

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 24 June 2020 to Questions 59676, 59675 and 59674 on Police: Dismissal and Disciplinary Proceedings, if she will provide hyperlinks to where the information requested is located on www.gov.uk.

Kit Malthouse: The information requested is not publicly available on www.gov.uk Police dismissals (59676) The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the outcome of misconduct proceedings and criminal investigations involving officers, including the number of officers that have been dismissed following proceedings. However, information on the circumstances that led to a case being brought is not collected centrally by the Home Office The latest data on the outcomes following misconduct proceedings, which covers cases in the year ending March 2019, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-30-september-2019. The College of Policing publish data annually relating to those who have been dismissed from policing and placed on the Police Barred List. The most recent data shows that, in the period ending 31 March 2019, 11 officers were dismissed under the category ‘excess force’. This data is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/News/College-news/Documents/Barred_List_2019.pdf. Domestic Violence (59675 and 59674) The Home Office also collects and publishes statistics on the number of arrests for notifiable offences, conducted by each police force in England and Wales, on an annual basis. Data is held at the offence group level only (for example ‘Violence against the person’ offences). Information on the number of arrests there have been specifically as a result of domestic violence in the last five years is not held centrally. Data is published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, the latest of which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2019 The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the primary function of police officers, as part of the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales . This data includes officers whose primary function is “Protecting Vulnerable People”, and officers with multiple responsibilities are recorded under their primary function.

Refugees: Crime and National Security

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have had their refugee status revoked on the grounds that they committed a serious crime or posed a threat to national security in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp: Providing the information on the number of people that have had their refugee status revoked on the grounds of serious crime and are a danger to the community or because they are a danger to national security would require a manual check of individual records that can only be done at disproportionate costs.Those who have committed a particularly serious crime and are a danger to the community or are a danger to national security are not granted refugee status in the UK. If a person has been recognised as a refugee and they subsequently commit a particularly serious crime and are assessed to be a danger to the community or are assessed as a danger to national security, their refugee status will be revoked as part of the deportation process.Where we cannot remove such an individual from the UK, due to obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights, revocation of leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain will still take place so that such individuals can no longer enjoy the benefits of such status.

Criminal Investigation

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who were formerly Released Under Investigation were (a) NFA, (b) charged and (c) convicted in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Kit Malthouse: The Government does not hold the information on how many people who were formerly Released Under Investigation were (a) no fixed action (NFA); (b) charged and (c) convicted.Decisions on whether to use pre-charge bail or release suspects pending further enquiries are operational matters for individual police forces and will be assessed on a case by case basis.The Government completed its public consultation on the pre-charge bail system, including release under investigation, on 29 May 2020. Analysis of the results from this consultation is ongoing and the Government response will be published later this year.

Overseas Students

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing flexibility on when and where overseas students can (a) apply for their visa to study in the UK and (b) take their  English language tests.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending flexibilities on English language tests to students on pre-degree further education courses to encourage student visa applications.

Kevin Foster: From October students will be able to apply for a visa up to six months in advance of the course start date listed on their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. This is an extension on the current period of three months.Students who require a Secure English Language Test (SELT) must obtain a SELT from an approved provider. A SELT test can be obtained from any of the test centres listed in the below list of approved test centres:-https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-visa-approved-english-language-testsHigher Education Providers (HEP) with a track record of compliance are able to self-assess the English ability of their students at degree level or above. As part of the Covid-19 concessions, we extended this to also permit HEPs to self-assess the English ability of students on pre-sessional courses.

British National (Overseas): Hong Kong

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish additional information on the proposals for the bespoke immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas) passport holders from Hong Kong.

Kevin Foster: The Home Secretary was pleased to recently announce details of the new immigration route for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) citizens, which can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hong-kong-bno-visa-policy-statement

Mukhtar Ablyazov

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the High Court's renewed arrest warrant for Mukhtar Ablyazov in July 2019, what steps are her Department is taking to secure his extradition from France.

James Brokenshire: Whether to seek extradition of an individual is a matter for the UK’s independent prosecution authorities. There is no Ministerial involvement. As a matter of long-standing policy and practice, the UK will neither confirm nor deny that an extradition request has been made or received until an arrest has been made in relation to that request.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the transparency of EU Settlement Scheme reporting.

Kevin Foster: Statistical information on the EU Settlement Scheme is published by the Home Office monthly and quarterly. The latest published information on applications received can be found on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics.The monthly reporting on the EU Settlement Scheme has recently been changed to allow for more timely release of the figures on applications and outcomes, placed on the GOV.UK website.The quarterly publication will continue to provide more detailed breakdowns, including data on nationality, UK country of residence, age group, and regional and local authority numbers. In future, we also plan to include numbers of non-digital (paper) applications and further analysis of application outcomes, including those applicants for pre-settled status who subsequently apply for full status.In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, the Home Office openly invites feedback from users to continue developing the quality, usefulness and presentation of statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme. Feedback is continually sought across our suite of Home Office immigration statistics, alongside regular internal consultation, and external engagement through multiple stakeholder channels.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the Policy Equality Statement in relation to the EU Settled Status Scheme.

Kevin Foster: The Policy Equality Statement for the EU Settlement Scheme will be published shortly.

Internet: Safety

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the interim codes of practice will be published under the proposals in the Online Harms White Paper Initial Consultation Response.

James Brokenshire: The Government will be publishing interim codes of practice on terrorist use of the internet and child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) as part of the full government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation. This will ensure that companies are provided with the necessary context to understand the expectations around what companies should do to address CSEA and terrorist content and activity online. We are currently working swiftly to prepare the interim codes of practice and the full government response to the Online Harms White Paper, which we will publish in the autumn. We will follow this publication with legislation, when Parliamentary time allow.

Immigration: Health Insurance

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to remove the requirement for people with Settled Status to hold Comprehensive Sickness Insurance when applying for British citizenship.

Kevin Foster: To meet the statutory requirements for naturalisation, a person of any nationality must have been in the UK lawfully during the residential qualifying period.EEA Regulations set out the requirements which EEA nationals needed to follow if they wished to reside here lawfully on the basis of free movement. In the case of students or the self-sufficient, but not those who were working here, the possession of comprehensive sickness insurance has always been a requirement. This position has not changed since the UK left the European Union The British Nationality Act allows us to exercise discretion over this requirement in the special circumstances of any particular case. There are no current plans to amend legislation in this respect given they reflect EEA rules on Freedom of Movement.

Stop and Search: Metropolitan Police

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications of the Metropolitan police's wrongful stop and search of Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos for her policy nationwide on stop and search powers; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The Metropolitan Police Service has voluntarily referred this incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct which has confirmed they are investigating it. As this investigation is ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment further.

Hamas

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of allegations that senior members of Hamas’ Political Bureau are personally (a) designated terrorists by the US government and (b) subject to UK Terrorism and Terrorist Financing sanctions.

James Brokenshire: The Government and the security and intelligence agencies keep the threat from terrorist groups, including Hamas, under review. In March 2001, the Government proscribed the military wing of Hamas (Hamas Izz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades), as a terrorist organisation. It is criminal offence in the UK to be a member of the military wing. The investigation and prosecution for all criminal offences, including whether an actual offence has been committed, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution ServiceThe Terrorist Asset Freezing Act (TAFA) 2010 permits HM Treasury to designate an individual or entity for sanctions if they meet the statutory test. Currently there are three individuals designated under TAFA 2010 who are associated with Hamas. Hamas, including its military wing, is also subject to financial sanctions in the UK through the EU counter-terrorism sanctions regime CP931.The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters. While we work closely with our international partners in the global fight against terrorism, any executive action must be underpinned by intelligence that satisfies the UK’s criminal and statutory thresholds.

Action Fraud

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has of the adequacy of the response times of Action Fraud.

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what avenues of redress there are for people who have been defrauded by an individual who is based outside of the UK.

James Brokenshire: Victims in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are encouraged to report these crimes directly to Action Fraud, the centralised reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. Those in Scotland should report directly to Police Scotland, via the 101 service.It is vital that victims of fraud have the confidence to come forward and know that their case will be dealt with.The City of London Corporation (as the Police Authority for the City of London Police) commissioned an independent review by Sir Craig Mackey QPM into the standards, culture and management of Action Fraud. The findings and recommendations of that review were published on 24th January on the City of London Police Authority’s website, currently available at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/assets/About-us/action-fraud-report.pdfThe review highlights the need to improve the victim experience, with a focus on answering times, the time callers spend waiting in queues and the percentage of calls that are answered. The City of London Police are addressing Sir Craig’s recommendations regarding Action Fraud and the NFIB, working with the City of London Corporation, the National Crime Agency and the Home Office. City of London Police transparently publish their response times. These are currently available at: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud-stats. We monitor these stats closely, working with City of London Police to understand any monthly drops in response times.

Lancashire Constabulary: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to the oral question from the hon. Member for West Lancashire, Official Report, Column 1238, and with reference to the letter dated 6 July 2020 from the Police and Crime Commissioner to the Minister for Crime and Policing, copied to the hon Member for West Lancashire, stating that Lancashire Constabulary received an increase of £4.3m in 2020-2021 financial year for the recruitment and delivery of 153 additional police officers, for what reason that Answer stated that Lancashire Police received a £22.6 million increase in funding this year to enable it to recruit another 153 police officers over the next 12 months.

Kit Malthouse: The Government will provide a total police funding settlement of up to £15.2 billion in 2020/21, which is an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to 2019/20. From this settlement, Lancashire Police are receiving up to £308.8m in funding in 2020/21, which is an increase of up to £22.6m on 2019/20. This figure includes the force’s £4.3m share of the £168m ringfenced funding for police recruitment. This funding is made available to forces when they can demonstrate that they are recruiting and are spending on the necessary supporting infrastructure.

Cabinet Office

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Simon Baynes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on tackling the covid-19 outbreak.

Chloe Smith: There have been regular discussions between the UK government and Devolved Administrations throughout the crisis, including through the COBR committee and Ministerial Implementation Groups. This is in addition to regular official and ministerial engagement, including weekly calls led by the Secretary of State for Health.As was the case under the previous administration, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster continues to lead engagement with the Devolved Administrations through regular calls with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the First and deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland. The most recent call took place on 24 July.

Home Office: Bullying

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the investigation into allegations of bullying by the Home Secretary (a) commenced and b) is planned to be published.

Chloe Smith: As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out to the House on 2 March, the Government takes complaints relating to the Ministerial Code seriously. In line with the process set out in the Code, the Prime Minister asked the Cabinet Office to establish the facts. To protect the interests of all involved the Government does not comment on the specifics of such ongoing work.The Prime Minister will make any decision on the matter public once the work has concluded, and the Independent Adviser publishes an Annual Report. I refer the Rt. Hon. member to the most recent report.

Emergencies: Planning

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to include economic impact in the next cross-departmental exercise on disaster management; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: As has been the case for some time, exercises are part of the UK approach to developing and validating resilience capabilities against a range of risks and impacts. It is a principle of the exercise programme that it achieves over time a balanced coverage of different risks and resilience capabilities, exercises the different phases of crisis and emergency management and recovery, and also reflects on lessons identified from previous crises to ensure they are learned for the future. Recovery management and associated considerations of economic impact will be included in the future exercising programme, and HM Treasury has been part of previous exercises.

Cabinet Office: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2020 to Question 60651 on Renewable energy, what plans his Department has to install solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This includes taking action to increase the use of renewable energy across the Government estate. Where this relates to solar panels and wind turbines on buildings occupied by the Cabinet Office, active consideration will be given to installation.

UK Government Union Capability Independent Review

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2020 to Question 904850, for what reason the Government has not yet published the recommendations of Lord Dunlop's Review of UK Government Union Capability.

Chloe Smith: The Government is giving full consideration to the recommendations of Lord Dunlop’s Review of UK Government Union Capability.The Government is grateful for the work Lord Dunlop has undertaken.

Department for International Trade

Cotton: China

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has toban imports of Xinjiang cotton made using Uighur Muslim forced labour.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: HM Government have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, with credible reports of the use of forced labour. It has always been the case that, where we have concerns, we raise them, as we did on this issue at the UN Human Rights Council in March. We will continue to monitor the situation closely. HM Government is committed to eliminating modern slavery. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 made Britain the first country in the world to require businesses to report on how they are tackling modern slavery, including forced labour, in their operations and supply chains. Section 54 of the Act was designed to empower consumers, investors, civil society and others to scrutinise the action that businesses are taking to identify and address modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.

Beer: USA

John Nicolson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations she has made to the US Administration on tariffs on beer exports to the United States.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: On 10th July, my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade engaged the US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, on how the potential tariffs could affect Britain’s brewers. HM Government takes the negative impact of US tariffs very seriously. These tariffs are unnecessary, unhelpful and harm industry on both sides of the Atlantic.We continue to raise the issue of tariffs with the highest levels of the US administration at every opportunity. Instead of escalating existing tariffs, we need to work together towards a negotiated settlement.

Department for International Trade: Renewable Energy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2020 to Question 60657 on Renewable energy, what plans her Department has to install solar panels and wind turbines on its buildings in the next five years.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The Government Property Agency (GPA) does not have plans for the installation of solar panels and wind turbines on the DIT buildings for which GPA is responsible.However, GPA is developing a ‘Government Office Net Zero Programme’ to support the following targets of HM Government:To reduce the United Kingdom’s net emissions of greenhouse gases by 100% relative to 1990 levels by 2050, making our nation a ‘Net Zero’ emitterTo have at least a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the public sector estate by 2032, against a 2017 baseline.GPA has committed to the following objectives for the estate they manage:Improve energy efficiency (reduce consumption/improve thermal efficiency)Use green energy (decarbonise)Generate and store green energy (locally)Reduce embodied carbon (in construction)To meet the third objective, GPA is currently assessing opportunities for the local generation and storage of green energy on a number of buildings within their estate, which may include solar panels and wind turbines.GPA plans to request funding for the ‘Government Office Net Zero Programme’ as part of the 2020 Spending Review. The buildings that may be in scope, preferred technologies and precise funding are all subject to further development and approval.

Trade Agreements

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has to use primary legislation to implement free trade agreements with (a) the US, (b) Australia, (c) New Zealand and (d) Japan.

Greg Hands: The Government will, where necessary, bring forward primary legislation to implement future Free Trade Agreements where existing powers do not exist on the statute book. The agreement with Japan, as with all of the countries that have an existing trade agreement with the EU, is included in the scope of the Trade Bill. This Government remains committed to the principles of transparency and scrutiny. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is working to ensure future Free Trade Agreements such as with the US, Australia and New Zealand, are implemented smoothly and transparently. DIT is considering options on legislative implementation for these new agreements and is working closely with other Departments, including the Foreign Office.

Whisky: USA

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she last met her counterpart in the US Administration to discuss tariffs applied to Scotch Whisky exports to the US; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: On 10th July, my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade spoke to the US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, and once again raised how current and any potential tariffs could affect Britain’s distilleries. HM Government takes the negative impact of US tariffs on Scotch Whisky very seriously. These tariffs are unnecessary, unhelpful and harm industry on both sides of the Atlantic.We continue to raise the issue of tariffs with the highest levels of the US administration at every opportunity. Instead of escalating existing tariffs, we need to work together towards a negotiated settlement.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Performing Arts: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Live Comedy Association on (a) the level of funding required to protect the 77 per cent of live comedy venues that are reported to be at risk of closure in the next 12 months and (b) ensuring the needs of live comedy performances are reflected in plans the Government is developing to support the arts sector reopen after the covid-19 lockdown.

Caroline Dinenage: a) The Live Comedy Association attends the regular ministerially-chaired roundtables that ensure we are assisting all our Creative Industries sectors as effectively as possible. In addition, officials are in regular contact with the Live Comedy Association, ensuring that the needs of the comedy industry are fully understood. We will continue to work with the Live Comedy Association to understand the difficulties the comedy industry faces and help it access support through these challenging times and through recovery.On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. Live comedy is a much loved part of the British cultural landscape. Comedy venues and organisations will be eligible to apply for support through the package, just like other performing art forms. Detailed eligibility criteria will be set out as soon as possible in July.b) The Live Comedy Association is a member of the ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group, that is focused on developing covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the entertainment sector.We have worked closely with the industry on a clear roadmap for the return of the performing arts and live entertainment sectors providing detailed guidance. We are pleased that, subject to the success of pilots, which include a number of comedy events, from August indoor performances with socially distanced audiences will be able to take place.

Television Licences: Older People

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the BBC on that organisation reversing its forthcoming changes to the free over-75s television licence allowance.

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the BBC on the decision to remove the free TV license for over 75s.

Mr John Whittingdale: The government meets with the BBC on regular occasions to discuss a wide range of issues, including the over 75 concession. The Government has consistently made clear its disappointment with the BBC's decision to restrict the over 75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC. The BBC remains responsible for the administration of the concession and it will be responsible for setting out what those affected will need to do. It must look urgently at how it can use its substantial licence fee income to support older people and deliver for UK audiences of all ages.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.

Mr John Whittingdale: DCMS is committed to achieving the public sector apprenticeship target. We offer apprenticeships to both existing staff and as part of the hiring process for suitable roles. We offer a range of apprenticeship standards to existing staff which align with the types of role in the department. We promote apprenticeships as a key pillar of our learning and development strategy, building professional and functional capability and using a variety of means to engage staff and encourage participation. We work closely with recruitment teams both in DCMS and across the Civil Service and with learning providers to recruit diverse and high quality apprentices.There have been a number of challenges to meeting the public sector apprenticeship target, including planning for and resourcing EU Exit and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both of these have impacted our apprenticeship recruitment over the past 12 months.

Football: Coronavirus

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to work with (a) football clubs and (b) the governing bodies of English football beyond Step 5 on a safe return to playing football as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Nigel Huddleston: On 18th July the Football Association published their guidance for the safe return of grassroots football, approved by the government. The government will continue to work closely with all the football authorities as guidance for sport, at all levels, is developed -including the return of spectators to stadia.

Broadband

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for reaching the Government target of full fibre broadband for all people by 2025 of the provisions in the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review; and whether he plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of the wider proposals in that review.

Matt Warman: The Government remains committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity as soon as possible. Over 3.5 million premises (or 12% of the UK) can access gigabit capable broadband according to the latest Ofcom figures, compared to 7% a year ago. Gigabit coverage is even higher at 20%, or one in five UK premises, as a result of Virgin Media’s upgrades of its existing cable network.We support industry’s plans to deliver gigabit broadband to the most commercial parts of the UK (c.80% of the country) and will continue to take action to remove barriers to deployment to help them deliver this by 2025.It will be more difficult to deliver gigabit connectivity to the hardest to reach 20% of the country by 2025. This is why we have committed a record £5 billion of capital funding to support deployment in these areas.

BBC Wales and S4C

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the BBC Director-General on protecting the future of (a) BBC Cymru Wales and (b) S4C.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Government is committed to ensuring a strong and sustainable broadcasting system in all parts of the UK. Ministers meet regularly with the BBC and S4C to discuss a range of issues. The BBC and S4C are operationally and editorially independent of government. The future of BBC Cymru Wales is a matter for the BBC. Both the BBC and S4C are regulated by Ofcom.

Radio Frequencies: Licensing

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether Ofcom's proposal to require compliance with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) 2020 Guidelines in its wireless telephony licences would require licensees keep records based on the (a) levels and (b) methodologies of those guidelines; and what comparative assessment he has made of the consistency of (a) levels and (b) methodologies in those guidelines and the requirements of The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016.

Matt Warman: Ofcom’s consultation proposed that licensees would need to keep records showing how they have demonstrated compliance with the general public exposure limits in the ICNIRP Guidelines. It recommended that they use methods from recognised standards to demonstrate compliance.The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations (CEMFAW) 2016 requires employers to assess the risks of EMF exposure in the workplace exceeding the occupational exposure limits in the ICNIRP Guidelines. Ofcom is aware of CEMFAW and their proposed EMF compliance arrangements are not intended to overlap with requirements under CEMFAW. Ofcom will further clarify the exact scope of its proposals in its Statement following consultation and is satisfied that its proposals will not overlap or otherwise be inconsistent with requirements under CEMFAW.

Women and Equalities

Ethnic Groups: Equality

Naz Shah: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recommendations (a) the Government has adopted and (b) are outstanding from the 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission's report entitled A roadmap to race equality.

Kemi Badenoch: The recommendations of the 2017 Equality and Human Rights Commission's report refer to action in the areas of employment, education, house, health and criminal justice. That same year the Government launched The Race Disparity Audit (RDA) to drive change by publishing authoritative data and analysis about the variances in treatment or outcome affecting people of different ethnicities in those areas and others.Since October 2017, the Government has used RDU data and analysis to support and launch a number of initiatives including:Department of Health and Social Care’s independent review of mental health legislation and practice to tackle the issue of mental health detention.New powers for the Office for Students to hold Universities to account for how well their students do; and independent university league tables agreed to highlight progress made on reducing student disparities. The Sunday Times Good University Guide is now including ethnic minority attainment gaps as part of theirs.The allocation of £90m of dormant assets to the creation of a new, independent organisation - Youth Futures Foundation (YFF). YFF aims to overcome the barriers to training and employment opportunities that young people from an ethnic minority background experience.Established a new Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities to examine all aspects of continuing racial and ethnic inequalities in Britain. It will build on the work of the Race Disparity Unit. The Commission will carry out a deeper examination of what the causes of these disparities are, and seek to establish what works to address them effectively.Implemented 16 recommendations from the Lammy Review, to improve the treatment and outcomes of BAME people in the criminal justice system, and have committed to enacting a further 17.

Gender Recognition: Human Rights

Christine Jardine: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues, (b) cross-party groups, and (c) representatives from LGBTQ organisations on (i) transgender rights and (ii) gender recognition.

Kemi Badenoch: Both myself and my Ministerial team on equality issues engage with a wide range of relevant interested parties. On the matters of gender recognition and transgender rights, I have held a number of meetings with external stakeholders and relevant colleagues across government to gather a wide range of views, and will continue to do so going forward.Officials in the Government Equalities Office also engage broadly with interested parties, feeding the insights gathered into policy advice. They regularly meet with relevant stakeholders, including most recently the LGBT Advisory Panel, devolved administrations and the National LGBT Health Advisor, Dr Michael Brady. Officials also met with around 140 organisations before and during the consultation on the Gender Recognition Act.